UBM Announces Dates for the 2014 Airport Cities World Conference in Kuala Lumpur

PR Newswire On Jun 3, 2013
Source: PR Newswire

UBM Live, organiser of the Airport Cities World Conference and Exhibition (ACE) has announced that next year's event will take place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from March 31-April 2, 2014.

Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad (MAHB), the operator of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), will be the official host of ACE 2014 adding its name to the list of major international airports that have hosted the Airport Cities conference since 2002.

Malaysia, and in particular KLIA, is a perfect host for this event as it is already well underway implementing its own "Aeropolis" project.

With more than 22,000 acres of land at its disposal to create a successful and viable world-class airport city, just over one quarter (6,000 acres) has already been developed for runways, the Main Terminal Building (MTB), satellite and low-cost carrier terminals, cargo and other support facilities.

However the airport is sitting on a goldmine of potential opportunities, that the gateway is eager to showcase and explore at the event.

Located at the heart of Asia, Malaysia as a country is strategically and financially positioned at the centre of regional networks.

Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad, managing director of Malaysia Airports, said: "We must ensure that the KLIA Aeropolis development plan is optimised to maximise Malaysia's unique position as a regional leader in retail, business and tourism destination.

"The unprecedented congestion around most of KLIA's neighbouring capital city has fuelled unparalleled interest and demand in KLIA Aeropolis Master Plan."

Malaysia Airports envisions KLIA Aeropolis to be a truly remarkable new airport city development with top-class tourism attractions, and believes that the success of KLIA Aeropolis will equally be the success of Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur.

About the event

The Airport Cities World Conference and Exhibition champions the concept that today airports are more than just gateways for the transportation of goods and people from one region or country to another.

In fact this historic perception has now given way to a much broader concept of the airport as a business destination in its own right and as an economic engine for its region and local communities.

From humble beginnings in 2002 at the Portofino Bay Hotel in Orlando, Florida, where the first 'Creating Airport Cities' conference welcomed 120 delegates and a handful of exhibitors, the Airport Cities event has grown by more than six times in size over the last 11 years.

The ACE event is globally renowned for attracting key decision makers from the banking, financial, investment and real estate sectors, as well as economic development councils and other local governments from over the world.

Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad added: "This global premier event is going to see the world's experienced and talented airport professionals, aviation industry experts, and community and business leaders come together to share ideas, to partake in stimulating discussions and to talk about accomplishments and possibilities.

"This is certainly a great platform for us to explore business opportunities and to exchange insightful information about airport cities developments with all the delegates."